Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Athens, Greece
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Marine Biologist
N 37° 58.522 E 023° 44.175
34S E 740338 N 4206614
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a bas relief sculpture located on the wall of the formal forecourt of the Parliament House in Athens, Greece.
Waymark Code: WM60RQ
Location: Greece
Date Posted: 03/13/2009
Views: 45

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located at the bottom of a high wall surrounding the Parliament Building. On this wall is a relief that depicts a fallen soldier; it is surrounded by quotations from Pericles' funeral oration. To the left and right are further inscriptions that tell of historic battles where Greek soldiers took part, the most recent one in Cyprus in 1974. Two sentry boxes, on either side of the tomb, have small canopies to protect the guards against the sun.

From Harry's Greece Travel Guide website (visit link) --

"Queen Amalias Avenue, at the top of Syntagma Square (its on a slight slope), fronts the Building of Parliament or in Greek the "Vouli", and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier."

"The facade of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Warrior is a bas-relief sculpture copied from one on the island of Aegina and has inscribed quotations of Periclies famous funeral oration."

From the Destination 360 website (visit link) --

" One of the great things to do in Athens is visit Syntagma Square for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Greece, which is located at the Parliament Building. Every hour, guards called Evzones perform the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Greece changing of the guard. The Evzones wear curious uniforms with pom-poms on the toes of their shoes and skirts with stockings. The uniforms differ in the summer from the winter garb, and on Sundays and special celebrations the uniform is the most formal. The 11 o’clock a.m. Sunday changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Greece is a more ornate ceremony, where scores of people gather to watch."

"The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Greece is also the monument of choice during major holidays, where top officials of Greece lay wreaths in honor of the nameless fallen Greek soldiers from battles gone by. Found at the site are an inscription bearing the famous Funeral Speech by Pericles, and other inscriptions that commemorate past Greek army victories like the 1821 Greek Revolution."
Your impression of the sculpture?:

Date Sculpture was opened for vewing?: 03/25/1932

Website for sculpture?: [Web Link]

Where is this sculpture?:
2 Vasilissis Sophias
Athens, Greece
10671


Sculptors Name: Fokion Rok

Visit Instructions:
1. Provide a tasteful picture of the sculpture, with another point of view from the original(no pictures of GPSr or yourself).

2. Provide your thoughts on the sculpture and your impression of it.

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